Octie Appetie: Fukuoka

Showing posts with label Fukuoka. Show all posts

28 June 2024

Japan 2024 Trip: From Fukuoka to Osaka

Here is the summary of our 2024 Japan trip in one post. We spent 12 days 11 nights in total in Japan for this trip. We mostly stayed in Kyushu Island as well as Osaka and some Hyogo prefecture. I will conclude them in day-by-day itinerary below. Then, if you require more information, you can click on each link that will take you to a blog where more information is given. Hope it is something that you are after. Enjoy reading, pals...

By the way, our trip was pretty laid back and no rush because we went with my parents who are in their 70's and one teenager also one toddler. What a great combination of ages!! Therefore, I needed to find something in the middle and tried to please everyone. So, here is our 11 days trip that maybe only doing half of the other people would normally do. Still, happy reading all...

Day 1: Just arrived in Yufuin then had a beef sukiyaki dinner in Yawaragi No Sato Yadoya Ryokan

Day 2: Whole day spent in Yufuin town

Day 3: Visited Hell Valley and stayed in Beppu for 2 nights

Day 4: Went to see Japanese macaques at Takasakiyama Natural Zoological Garden

Day 5: Ate at Ichiran ramen and snacks food at Yatai stalls as we stayed in Fukuoka for 4 nights

Day 6: Visited Dazaifu and Anpanman Children's Museum

Day 7: Spent time in Nagasaki and Yatai for second round

Day 8: Paid our respect at Nanzoin Temple

Day 9: From Fukuoka to Osaka and had an okonomiyaki dinner in Dotonburi

Day 10: Strolled around Kyoto

Day 11: Brief stopped in Himeji and enjoyed teppanyaki Kobe beef at Steakland restaurant

Day 12: Universal Studio Japan and flew back home

From Hakata International Airport to Yufuin by bus

Part 1: Click here

Room in Yawaragi-No-Sato Yadoya

Part 2: Click here

Japanese hot pot "Sukiyaki" of the beef and raw egg "Ranou"

Part 3: Click here

Breakfast room in the ryokan

Part 4: Click here

Owl's Forest

Part 5: Click here

Onsen in Yawaragi-No-Sato Yadoya Ryokan

Part 6: Click here

Steam cooking at Jigokumushi Kobo

Part 7: click here

Nishitetsu Resort Inn, Beppu

Part 8: click here

Takasakiyama Monkey Park, Oita

Part 9: click here

Sushi from Kura sushi

Part 10: click here

Hotel Wing International Hakata

Part 11: click here

Ichiran ramen

Part 12: click here

Dazaifu Tenmangu

Part 13: click here

Fukuoka Anpanman Children's Museum

Part 14: click here

Nakasu Yatai Food Stalls

Part 15: click here

Meganebashi Bridge

Part 16: click here

Nanzoin Temple

Part 17: click here

JR Hakata Station

Part 18: click here

On the way to Osaka

Part 19: click here

Dotonbori

Part 20: click here

Shoyu ramen from Kadoya Shokudo

Part 21: click here

Old town Kyoto

Part 22: click here

Himeji Castle

Part 23: click here

Teppanyaki at Steakland Restaurant

Part 24: click here

Strawberry pancake sandwich from Mario cafe

Part 25: click here

Airport transfer booked through Klook

Part 26: click here

Thank you all for reading and Octie Appetie...

09 May 2024

Japan 2024 Trip Part 19: From Hakata to Osaka by Shinkansen and Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka

Previously:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 18: Miscellaneous Things in Fukuoka City

We spent the next three days in Osaka before ending our Japan trip for this year. From Fukuoka to Shin-Osaka, it will take around two and half hour by Shinkansen. Then as we're staying at a hotel near Nagahoribashi Station, we needed to change and catch subway line to Shinsaibashi where is the next closest stop direct from Shin-Osaka. It could take approximately 5 minutes' walk from there where otherwise only one minute away from Nagahoribashi Station.

For JR Pass holder, you can make a seat reservation in advance and they will give you another ticket for that journey where it contains train name, departure and arrival date and time, car number and seat number. With Japan rail, it is very easy to find the platform and car as there would be information sometime on the floor or arrows to point whereabout the carriage number. So just simply follow the direction.

For me, Eki (station) and Eki bento (food sells in a station), they always come together. My shinkansen journey will feel incomplete without that ekiben. My daughter even got the shinkansen container food for her, but she accidentally opened the food thinking it was just a toy and a couple of sausages and fish cake decided to escape and run to the floor. What a shame 😞

You can also place your luggage at the back of the last seat

We stayed at Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka for three nights. As I mentioned earlier that the closest subway station to this hotel is Nagahoribashi. But as we got off at Shin-Osaka Station from Hakata, we need to change twice to get to Nagahoriashi or otherwise, it is only one line subway ride to Shinsaibashi Station. From here, we then went out from exit number 2 and walked toward Crystal mall then kept staying in the underground level and walking toward exit 5. Once there, we went up to the ground level and the hotel is just in the next alley on our left.

The room, of course, it's clean and pretty much the standard of 3-star Japanese hotel with a business-style hotel interior and there is 7eleven just opposite the hotel. Beside good location and reasonable price, there is nothing spectacular about the hotel itself.

Interconnecting room with 4 single beds

Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka

1 Chome 2-19 Higashishinsaibashi, Osaka

Ph: +81 6 6243 4055

Stay tuned for the next blog still in Osaka:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 20: Dotonbori and Okonomiyaki in Osaka

07 May 2024

Japan 2024 Trip Part 18: Miscellaneous Things in Fukuoka City

Previously:

Japan 2024 Trip Part 17: Nanzoin Temple, Fukuoka

In this blog, I'm posting about some random stuffs and food that we visited and had while we're in Fukuoka city. I hope you all enjoy it and Octie Appetie...

JR Hakata Station

Josuian Hakata - Japanese confectionery store

Ofuku dazaifu with fresh strawberry 270yen

Tochoji Temple

Second time eating ramen from Ichiran in this trip. This time was personally requested by my mom who falling in love with her ramen at first try. But the second time, we went to another branch which is in Canal City Mall. The shop is located on level B1 of the mall. This second attempt, I modified my preferences to suit me better. I added more garlic and chilli, as my previous one was too light. The quality of their broth, the firmness of their noodle and that pork chashu remain the same standard. I was really happy and satisfied with this dish. What a great meal we had before leaving this town!

I've noticed that they have more side dishes and dessert in this branch or maybe I just wasn't paying enough attention with the previous branch.

Ready ramen for take away

Ramen with chashu and boiled egg 1,380yen

The world of Gachaphon - capsule toys

Still in Canal city, you can find this Gachapon shop where gachapon lovers can go crazy here. I believe there are more than thousand capsule toys vending machines in this store. The price roughly around 300 - 500yen per one play and more than hundred plus to choose from.

JR Hakata Station at night

Every night before walking back to our hotel, we walked pass this Mister donut shop in JR Hakata Station and they always busy and sometime the line could get very long too. So, on our last night in Fukuoka. we decided to grab something from there. Maybe apparently, they have these new menus in house that featuring with Godiva chocolate. What can simply go wrong for donut and chocolate? Absolutely nothing, right!!!!

We tried all their Misdo meets Godiva donut varieties, and they were delicious, very rich chocolate and their donut was also fresh and soft as always. The traditional donut costs roughly around 150yen, but for those premium ones, price is more than double.